Facet (psychology)

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In psychology, a facet is a specific and unique aspect of a broader personality trait. [1] Both the concept and the term "facet" were introduced by Paul Costa and Robert McCrae in the first edition of the NEO-Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) Manual. [1] [2] Facets were originally elaborated only for the neuroticism, openness to experience, and extraversion traits; Costa and McCrae introduced facet scales for the agreeableness and conscientiousness traits in the Revised NEO-PI (NEO PI-R). [3] Each of the Big Five personality traits in the five factor model contains six facets, each of which is measured with a separate scale. [4] The use of facets and facet scales has since expanded beyond the NEO PI-R, with alternative facet and domain structures derived from other models of personality. Examples include the HEXACO model of personality structure, [5] [6] psycholexical studies, [7] circumplex models (e.g., Goldberg's Abridged Big-Five Dimensional Circumplex), [8] the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ), [9] and the California Psychological Inventory. [10]

Contents

Five factor model

NEO PI-R

Costa and McCrae originally developed facet scales for neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience to reflect the fact that each broader trait is composed of different aspects of personality. [1] They admit their decisions were somewhat arbitrary and acknowledge that each trait may actually have more or less than six facets. However, they justify their choices with the need for a balance between comprehension and comprehensiveness and research supporting their six facet breakdown of each Big Five personality trait. [1] [4] The following table displays the labels used by Costa and McCrae for each personality domain and its constituent facets. [3]

Lexical facets

In contrast with Costa and McCrae's admittedly arbitrary decisions, studies guided by the Lexical hypothesis root facets in the personality language of laypeople. This approach is meant to test, and possibly enhance, the content validity of the measures used. [7] Using the five factor model, Gerard Saucier and Fritz Ostendorf explored each domain's facet structure through lexical studies. Using English and German participants and materials, they found a total of 18 facets, or "subcomponents", of the Big Five. [7] [11] These are:

Abridged Big-Five Dimensional Circumplex

The standard five factor model conceives of personality as a collection of unidimensional, polar scales. In contrast, circumplex models explore personality as it is constructed in the two-dimensional space created by the intersections of these polar scales. [8] Timothy Leary was the first to apply the circumplex to the study of personality. [12] Following Leary's pioneering work in the 1950s, Jerry Wiggins' Interpersonal Circle was one of the most influential early circumplex models of personality. [8] [13] Despite similarities between the Interpersonal Circle and two of the Big Five, [8] it was only later that the work of Lewis Goldberg with Dean Peabody, [14] and Willem Hofstee and Boele de Raad [8] integrated the circumplex and Five Factor models. The result was The Abridged Big-Five Dimensional Circumplex (AB5C). In place of specific facet labels, Goldberg and his colleagues use Roman numerals, and plus and minus signs corresponding to the two intersecting factors. For example, the facet corresponding to the intersection of extraversion and disagreeableness is represented by "I+II−".

The following tables list adjectives associated with the intersections of high scores (+) and low scores (−) on the Five Factors. Corresponding NEO PI-R labels are provided in parentheses, with adjectives approximating pure Big Five traits (e.g., extraversion, neuroticism) in bold. Empty cells represent impossible combinations (e.g., I+I−) or "blank spaces" (e.g., II+III−) – that is, combinations that are either unimportant or do not naturally appear in language. [8] [15]

Intersections of two positives (++)
Extraversion (I+)Agreeableness (II+)Conscientiousness (III+)Emotional Stability (IV+)Openness to Experience (V+)
Extraversion (I+)Talkative, Extraverted, AggressiveSociable, Enthusiastic, CommunicativeActive, Competitive, PersistentConfident, Bold, AssuredExpressive, Adventurous, Dramatic
Agreeableness (II+)Sympathetic, Kind, WarmMerry, Cheerful, HappyHelpful, Cooperative, ConsiderateTrustful, Pleasant, TolerantGenial, Tactful
Conscientiousness (III+)Alert, Ambitious, FirmResponsible, Dependable, ReliableOrganized, Neat, OrderlyThorough, Steady, ConsistentIndustrious, Perfectionistic, Sophisticated
Emotional Stability (IV+)Unselfconscious, Weariless, IndefatigablePatient, Relaxed, UndemandingDetermined, UnswervingUnenviousAdaptable, Multitalented
Openness to Experience (V+)Theatrical, Worldly, EloquentDeep, Diplomatic, IdealisticAnalytical, Perceptive, InformativeIntellectual, Inventive, IntelligentCreative, Philosophical, Imaginative
Note: Adjectives provided above load more closely on their row's Factor. For example, "Sociable" is nearer to Extraversion than Agreeableness, while "Sympathetic" is nearer to Agreeableness than Extraversion.
Intersections of positive and negative, with weight on positive (+-)
Introversion (I−)Disagreeableness (II−)Low Conscientiousness (III−)Neuroticism (IV−)Closed to Experience (V−)
Extraversion (I+)Dominant, Domineering, ForcefulBoisterous, Mischievous, ExhibitionisticFlirtatious, Explosive, WordyVerbose
Agreeableness (II+)Soft-hearted, Agreeable, ObligingLenient, Compassionate, SheepleSentimental, Affectionate, SensitiveConforming
Conscientiousness (III+)Careful, Cautious, PunctualStern, Strict, DeliberateExacting, ArduousConventional, Traditional
Emotional Stability (IV+)Unexcitable, UnassumingUnemotional, MasculineInformal, CasualImperturbable, Unconcerned
Openness to Experience (V+)Introspective, Meditative, ContemplatingIndividualistic, EccentricImprovisational, VersatileSensual
Note: Adjectives provided above load more closely on their row's Factor. For example, "Dominant" is nearer to Extraversion than Disagreeableness.
Intersections of positive and negative, with weight on negative (-+)
Extraversion (I+)Agreeableness (II+)Conscientiousness (III+)Emotional Stability (IV+)Openness to Experience (V+)
Introversion (I−)Timid, Unaggressive, SubmissiveReserved, Restrained, SeriousTranquil, Sedate, PlacidInner-Directed
Disagreeableness (II−)Rough, Abrupt, CrudeRigid, HardInsensitive, Unaffectionate, PassionlessShrewd, Sharp-Witted
Low Conscientiousness (III−)Reckless, Unruly, Devil-May-CarePermissive, EnablingComplacent, UnbotheredUnconventional, Slapdash
Neuroticism (IV−)High-StrungEmotional, GullibleParticular, IntrusiveParanoid, Histrionic, Weird
Closed to Experience (V−)Unscrupulous, PompousSimple, Dependent, ServileMuleheaded, Obstinate, InfuriatingUnreflective, Unsophisticated, Imperceptive
Note: Adjectives provided above load more closely on their row's Factor. For example, "Rough" is nearer to Disagreeableness than Extraversion.
Intersection of negatives (--)
Introversion (I−)Disagreeableness (II−)Low Conscientiousness (III−)Neuroticism (IV−)Closed to Experience (V−)
Introversion (I−)Shy, Quiet, IntrovertedUnsociable, Uncommunicative, SeclusiveUnenergetic, Uncompetitive, SluggishLonely, Weak, CowardlyPassive, Meek, Dull
Disagreeableness (II−)Cold, Unfriendly, ImpersonalUnsympathetic, Unkind, HarshInconsiderate, Rude, ImpoliteDemanding, Selfish, Ill-TemperedUncharitable, Ruthless, Coarse
Low Conscientiousness (III−)Inefficient, Lazy, IndecisiveUnreliable, Negligent, UndependableDisorganized, Disorderly, CarelessInconsistent, Scatterbrained, UnstableHaphazard, Illogical, Immature
Neuroticism (IV−)Self-Pitying, Insecure, FretfulIrritable, Temperamental, DefensiveHypocritical, Compulsive, NoseyMoody, Jealous, PossessiveContemptous,
Closed to Experience (V−)Unimaginative, Uninquisitive, InarticulateShallow, TerseShortsighted, Unobservant, IgnorantControllingUncreative, Unintellectual, Unintelligent
Note: Adjectives provided above load more closely on their row's Factor. For example, "Inefficient" is nearer to Low Conscientiousness than Intoversion, while "Unenergetic" is nearer to Introversion than Low Conscientiousness.

Other models

Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire

The Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) was developed by Auke Tellegen at the University of Minnesota in the early 1980s. [16] It has been used since its development in the Minnesota Twin Family Study. [9] Three of the four broad traits measured by the MPQ contain between three and four facets, or "primary traits". [17] The fourth, "absorption", is classified as both a broad trait and a primary trait. [9] In addition to these personality measures, the MPQ contains three scales assessing the validity of responses. The "Unlikely Virtues" scale is designed to assess impression management, the "True Response Inconsistency" scale assesses the tendency to answer all questions true (or false), and the "Variable Response Inconsistency" scale assesses inconsistent responses to similar or opposite questions. [18] The following table displays Tellegen's labels for broad traits, primary traits (facets), and the subscales of absorption. [9]

HEXACO model

The HEXACO model is a six-factor model of personality. This model was developed in the early 2000s by Michael C. Ashton and Kibeom Lee using lexical studies. [19] The HEXACO model adds a sixth factor, honesty-humility, to five factors similar to those in the Big Five: emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. Despite these similarities, the facet structures of traits in the HEXACO model differ from those in the five factor model. [20] In addition to these trait-specific facets, Ashton and Lee have proposed two "interstitial" facets located in the space between traits. The first, altruism (versus antagonism), is shared by honesty-humility, agreeableness, and emotionality. The second, negative self-evaluation, is shared by extraversion and emotionality. [21] The following table displays the trait and facet labels used by Ashton and Lee. [22]

Related Research Articles

In psychology, trait theory is an approach to the study of human personality. Trait theorists are primarily interested in the measurement of traits, which can be defined as habitual patterns of behavior, thought, and emotion. According to this perspective, traits are aspects of personality that are relatively stable over time, differ across individuals, are relatively consistent over situations, and influence behaviour. Traits are in contrast to states, which are more transitory dispositions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personality test</span> Method of assessing human personality constructs

A personality test is a method of assessing human personality constructs. Most personality assessment instruments are in fact introspective self-report questionnaire measures or reports from life records (L-data) such as rating scales. Attempts to construct actual performance tests of personality have been very limited even though Raymond Cattell with his colleague Frank Warburton compiled a list of over 2000 separate objective tests that could be used in constructing objective personality tests. One exception however, was the Objective-Analytic Test Battery, a performance test designed to quantitatively measure 10 factor-analytically discerned personality trait dimensions. A major problem with both L-data and Q-data methods is that because of item transparency, rating scales and self-report questionnaires are highly susceptible to motivational and response distortion ranging all the way from lack of adequate self-insight to downright dissimulation depending on the reason/motivation for the assessment being undertaken.

Conscientiousness is the personality trait of being careful or diligent. Conscientiousness implies a desire to do a task well, and to take obligations to others seriously. Conscientious people tend to be efficient and organized as opposed to easy-going and disorderly. They tend to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement; they display planned rather than spontaneous behavior; and they are generally dependable. Conscientiousness manifests in characteristic behaviors such as being neat, systematic, careful, thorough, and deliberate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Five personality traits</span> Personality model consisting of five broad dimensions

The Big Five personality traits, sometimes known as "the Five-Factor model of personality" or "OCEAN model", is a grouping of five unique characteristics used to study personality. It has been developed from the 1980s onward in psychological trait theory.

Psychoticism is one of the three traits used by the psychologist Hans Eysenck in his P–E–N model model of personality.

Agreeableness is a personality trait that manifests as behavior that is perceived as kind, sympathetic, cooperative, warm, frank, and considerate. In contemporary personality psychology, agreeableness is one of the five major dimensions of personality structure, reflecting individual differences in cooperation and social harmony.

Openness to experience is one of the domains which are used to describe human personality in the Five Factor Model. Openness involves six facets, or dimensions: active imagination (fantasy), aesthetic sensitivity, attentiveness to inner feelings, preference for variety (adventurousness), intellectual curiosity, and challenging authority. A great deal of psychometric research has demonstrated that these facets or qualities are significantly correlated. Thus, openness can be viewed as a global personality trait consisting of a set of specific traits, habits, and tendencies that cluster together.

Psychological evaluation is a method to assess an individual's behavior, personality, cognitive abilities, and several other domains. A common reason for a psychological evaluation is to identify psychological factors that may be inhibiting a person's ability to think, behave, or regulate emotion functionally or constructively. It is the mental equivalent of physical examination. Other psychological evaluations seek to better understand the individual's unique characteristics or personality to predict things like workplace performance or customer relationship management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extraversion and introversion</span> Personality trait

The trait of extraversion and introversion are a central dimension in some human personality theories. The terms introversion and extraversion were introduced into psychology by Carl Jung, though both the popular understanding and current psychological usage are not the same as Jung's original concept. Extraversion tends to be manifested in outgoing, talkative, energetic behavior, whereas introversion is manifested in more reflective and reserved behavior. Jung defined introversion as an "attitude-type characterised by orientation in life through subjective psychic contents", and extraversion as "an attitude-type characterised by concentration of interest on the external object".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HEXACO model of personality structure</span> Six-dimensional model of human personality

The HEXACO model of personality structure is a six-dimensional model of human personality that was created by Ashton and Lee and explained in their book, The H Factor of Personality, based on findings from a series of lexical studies involving several European and Asian languages. The six factors, or dimensions, include honesty-humility (H), emotionality (E), extraversion (X), agreeableness (A), conscientiousness (C), and openness to experience (O). Each factor is composed of traits with characteristics indicating high and low levels of the factor. The HEXACO model was developed through similar methods as other trait taxonomies and builds on the work of Costa and McCrae and Goldberg. The model, therefore, shares several common elements with other trait models. However, the HEXACO model is unique mainly due to the addition of the honesty-humility dimension.

The Revised NEO Personality Inventory is a personality inventory that assesses an individual on five dimensions of personality. These are the same dimensions found in the Big Five personality traits. These traits are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion(-introversion), agreeableness, and neuroticism. In addition, the NEO PI-R also reports on six subcategories of each Big Five personality trait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Costa Jr.</span> American psychologist

Paul Costa Jr. is an American psychologist associated with the Five Factor Model. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1970.

Within personality psychology, it has become common practice to use factor analysis to derive personality traits. The Big Five model proposes that there are five basic personality traits. These traits were derived in accordance with the lexical hypothesis. These five personality traits: Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience have garnered widespread support.

The Big Five personality traits are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. The Big Five Personality is a test that people can take to learn more about their personality in relation to the five personality traits. Cross-cultural psychology as a discipline examines the way that human behavior is different and/or similar across different cultures. One important and widely studied area in this subfield of psychology is personality, particularly the study of Big Five. The Big Five model of personality has become the most extensively studied model of personality and has broad support, starting in the United States and later in many different cultures. The Big Five model of personality started in the United States, and through the years has been translated into many different languages and has been used in many countries. Some researchers were attempting to determine the differences in how other cultures perceive this model. Some research shows that the Big Five holds up across cultures even with its origin in the English language. However, there is also some evidence which suggests that the Big Five traits may not be sufficient to completely explain personality in other cultures. In countries such as South America and East Asia, the results weren't as accurate because they weren't as open as some people in other countries are.

The honesty-humility factor is one of the six basic personality traits of the HEXACO model of personality. Honesty-humility is a basic personality trait representing the tendency to be fair and genuine when dealing with others, in the sense of cooperating with others, even when someone might utilize them without suffering retaliation. People with very high levels of the honesty-humility avoid manipulating for personal gain, feel little desire to break rules, are uninterested in wealth and luxuries, and feel no special right to elevated social status. Conversely, persons with very low levels on this scale will compliment others to get whatever they want, are inclined to break the rules for personal gains, are motivated by material gain, and feel a strong sense of self-importance.

Absorption is a disposition or personality trait in which a person becomes absorbed in their mental imagery, particularly fantasy. This trait thus correlates highly with a fantasy prone personality. The original research on absorption was by American psychologist Auke Tellegen. The construct of absorption was developed in order to relate individual differences in hypnotisability to broader aspects of personality. Absorption has a variable correlation with hypnotisability (r = 0.13–0.89) perhaps because in addition to broad personality dispositions, situational factors play an important role in performance on tests of hypnotic susceptibility. Absorption is one of the traits assessed in the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire.

The alternative five model of personality is based on the claim that the structure of human personality traits is best explained by five broad factors called impulsive sensation seeking (ImpSS), neuroticism–anxiety (N-Anx), aggression–hostility (Agg-Host), sociability (Sy), and activity (Act). The model was developed by Marvin Zuckerman and colleagues as a rival to the well-known five factor model of personality traits and is based on the assumption that "basic" personality traits are those with a strong biological-evolutionary basis. One of the salient differences between these two models is that the alternative five model lacks any equivalent to the dimension called openness to experience in the five factor model.

Robert Roger McCrae is a personality psychologist. He earned his Ph.D. in 1976, and worked at the National Institute of Aging. He is associated with the Five Factor Theory of personality. He has spent his career studying the stability of personality across age and culture. Along with Paul Costa, he is a co-author of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. He has served on the editorial boards of many scholarly journals, including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the Journal of Research in Personality, the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, and the Journal of Individual Differences.

Intelligence and personality have traditionally been studied as separate entities in psychology, but more recent work has increasingly challenged this view. An increasing number of studies have recently explored the relationship between intelligence and personality, in particular the Big Five personality traits.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 McCrae, R. R. & Costa, P. T. (2003). Personality in Adulthood: A Five-Factor Theory Perspective, Second Edition. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN   9781572308275.
  2. ↑ Costa, P. T. & McCrae, R. R. (1985). The NEO Personality Inventory Manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
  3. 1 2 Costa, P. T. & McCrae, R. R. (1992). NEO PI-R Professional Manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
  4. 1 2 Costa, P. T. & McCrae, R. R. (February 1995). "Domains and facets: Hierarchical personality assessment using the Revised NEO Personality Inventory" (PDF). Journal of Personality Assessment. 64 (1): 21–50. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.498.960 . doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa6401_2. PMID   16367732.
  5. ↑ Ashton, M. C. & Lee, K. (May 2007). "Empirical, theoretical, and practical advantages of the HEXACO model of personality structure". Personality and Social Psychology Review. 11 (2): 150–166. doi:10.1177/1088868306294907. PMID   18453460. S2CID   13183244.
  6. ↑ Lee, K. & Ashton, M. C. (2006). "Further assessment of the HEXACO Personality Inventory: Two new facet scales and an observer report form". Psychological Assessment. 18 (2): 182–191. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.18.2.182. PMID   16768594.
  7. 1 2 3 Saucier, G. & Ostendorf, F. (April 1999). "Hierarchical subcomponents of the Big Five personality factors: A cross-language replication" (PDF). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 76 (4): 613–627. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.76.4.613. PMID   10234848.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hofstee, W. K. B.; De Raad, B. & Goldberg, L. R. (1992). "Integration of the Big Five and circumplex approaches to trait structure". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 63 (1): 146–163. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.63.1.146. PMID   1494982. S2CID   2622872.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Tellegen, A. "MPQ Standard". University of Minnesota Press. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  10. ↑ Soto, C. J. & John, O. P. (2009). "Using the California Psychological Inventory to assess the Big Five personality domains: A hierarchical approach" (PDF). Journal of Research in Personality. 43: 25–38. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2008.10.005.
  11. ↑ John, O. P., Robins, R. W., & Pervin, L, A. (2008). Handbook of Personality: Theory and Research, Third Edition. New York: Guilford Press. ISBN   9781609180591.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ Timothy Leary (1 July 2004). Interpersonal Diagnosis of Personality: A Functional Theory and Methodology for Personality Evaluation. Wipf & Stock Publishers. ISBN   978-1-59244-776-3.
  13. ↑ Wiggins, J. S. (March 1979). "A psychological taxonomy of trait-descriptive terms: The interpersonal domain". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 37 (3): 395–412. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.37.3.395.
  14. ↑ Peabody, D. & Goldberg, L. R. (September 1989). "Some determinants of factor structures from personality-trait descriptors". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 57 (3): 552–567. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.57.3.552. PMID   2778639.
  15. ↑ Johnson, J. A. & Ostendorf, F. (1993). "Clarification of the Five-Factor Model with the Abridged Big Five Dimensional Circumplex". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 65 (3): 563–576. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.65.3.563.
  16. ↑ Tellegen, A. (1982). A brief manual for the Dimensional Personality Questionnaire. Minneapolis, MN: Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota.
  17. ↑ Boyle, G. J.; Matthews, G.; & Saklofsky, D. H. (2008). "Exploring personality through test construction: Development of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire". The Sage handbook of personality theory and assessment, volume 2: Personality theory and assessment. London: Sage. pp. 261–292. ISBN   978-1412946520.
  18. ↑ Tellegen, A. (September 1988). "The analysis of consistency in personality assessment". Journal of Personality. 56 (3): 621–663. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1988.tb00905.x.
  19. ↑ Ashton, M. C.; Lee, K.; Perugini, M.; Szarota, P.; de Vries, R. E.; Blas, L. D.; Boies, K.; De Raad, B. (February 2004). "A six-factor structure of personality-descriptive adjectives: Solutions from psycholexical studies in seven languages". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 86 (2): 356–366. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.86.2.356. PMID   14769090.
  20. ↑ Lee, K. & Ashton, M. C. (2004). "Psychometric properties of the HEXACO personality inventory". Multivariate Behavioral Research. 39 (2): 329–358. doi:10.1207/s15327906mbr3902_8. PMID   26804579. S2CID   27763606.
  21. ↑ Lee, K. & Ashton, M. C. (June 2006). "Further assessment of the HEXACO Personality Inventory: Two new facet scales and an observer report form". Psychological Assessment. 18 (2): 182–191. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.18.2.182. PMID   16768594.
  22. ↑ Lee, K. & Ashton, M. C. "Scale Descriptions" . Retrieved 27 December 2022.
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